Note: This is part 5 of the incredible miracle of how my daughter survived the bubonic plague and how our family became vessels for an infection of Love. If you are just now joining us click Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, A Time for Everything, or Part 4.Don’t forget the Kleenex!

A long time ago someone told me that the saying, “Blood is thicker than water,” actually comes from this saying:

The blood of the Cross is thicker than the water of the womb.

I have never found the source of this quote so if you know it, please feel free to share it!

Feeling so alone, I seemingly crawled back to the Ronald McDonald House, exhausted and heartbroken that Sierra was in so much pain. I needed sleep badly, so I could be there for her, but before I could do that I had to call out to my brothers and sisters.

Oh my Jesus, how I need you now.

It is a strange and mystical thing being a Christian because we really do share the same Blood. ” But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the bloodofJesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7) If I told you how many times a brother or sister recognized Christ in me, or joined me in a divine appointment, or was supernaturally there at the right place and the right time it would fill up my blog!

My favorite moments, however, are when I hear Christ speaking through my brothers and sisters. Once I traveled to speak to another group of believers in another town. An elderly Jewish woman asked each one of us, “Don’t I know you?” At first we all thought it was the ramblings of an old woman, until God opened my eyes and ears and I saw and heard Jesus asking the question. To this day when someone asks me, Don’t I know you? I stop in my tracks and give my full attention! And the answer is almost always, “Yes! I do know you!”

So, slowly and painstakingly I typed out on Facebook what had transpired in the last three days. My fingers felt like lead as I called out into the night. Invisible dark things and dark voices seemed to laugh at me, taunting me as I took the risk to ask for help. It didn’t take long as people I had never known before joined the ranks as kinsman redeemer to answer my plea. Every prayer, every word of encouragement, every Amen, hallelujah, Go! Jesus, Go! mattered! One of the first responders was Sierra’s old kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Faber. This woman immediately prayed and interceded on Sierra’s behalf throughout the long nights. I continued to pour out updates and requests as the battle for a little life ensued.

He lifts up a banner for the distant nations, he whistles for those at the ends of the earth. Here they come, swiftly and speedily! Isaiah 5:26

Then God began to bring me closer into His embrace and my own heart longings were answered as my sister reached out to me and my family and became my spokes person on days when I could not do anything but hold Sierra’s hands. My family and Sean’s family surrounded us and we all stood together, confronting an ancient and historic black death.

Our comrades in other states and countries began to reach out to us too. Through the mist of this world’s shadow God sent us a message before we knew whether or not this was the plague, not in an ancient scroll or through an angelic being, but in a modern-day text message. God is so cool. Here’s the message:

“I felt it appropriate to share a vision I had the first night we heard about Sierra. Sean confirmed it when I spoke to him but I did not feel comfortable enough to share. We heard she was life flighted and we started praying. While [my wife] prayed I had the vision and started laughing. She thought it odd and stopped to ask me what I was laughing at. I saw Sierra. She was older… say 14 or 15. If you can imagine she was even more beautiful than now. She was leaning against a wall wearing a long black sleep shirt and it read ‘The Black Death has NOTHING on Me and My God!’ I then was overcome with peace and laughter.”

We hadn’t announced that this was the plague when I received that text message from a dear brother in Christ!

It is especially magical, the kind of deep magic C.S. Lewis talks about in The Chronicles of Narnia, to call seemingly strangers, brother or sister. But it is this special unifying quality that binds together God’s people so that when the time calls for it—- we gather, we help, we provide, we pray. Our Dad is King after all!

The trauma of Sierra’s seizure was especially hard on her daddy. Sean couldn’t shake the visual image of Sierra unconscious in his arms that first night. He cried out to God for a bit of joy and the second he had finished his request in walked a nurse named Joy!

Oh Jesus, you care right now about what we are doing and what we need. You hold us when we don’t even know it.

Sierra’s Sulley! Not quite as hairy though!

Sierra was a fighter but there came a point when we knew we needed back up. My two older daughters went to my dad’s house near Denver while we stayed in the hospital and Sean’s parents were in Pagosa getting us moved into our new house.

Knowing we have three little girls and only two grandpas, God sent us a third; Steve. If you have ever had the pleasure of seeing Sierra and Steve go shopping together, it would have reminded you instantly of Boo and Sulley from Monsters Inc.

Steve had texted me that he was thinking of flying in and I simply texted him back, “Do it.”

Steve arrived that day. It was touching and shattered my heart when he entered the room and a groggy Sierra used what little strength she had to try to reach up and hug Steve’s neck. They have been buddies since she was four and God decided to use this event to bring us all back together.

Steve and Sean teamed up and we alternated every-other-night in the PICU. There were nights when the battle was intense but it wasn’t more real than the day Sierra’s breathing tube slipped back into her lungs!

Steve made up a game called “Balloon Ball” to help Sierra during physical therapy.

More doctors than usual surrounded Sierra and we were all checking her numbers on her heart rate and I noticed that Sierra was turning blue. I stood at the foot of her bed with Sean on one side of me and Steve on the other side while one doctor worked to get Sierra breathing. They pulled out the breathing tube and I locked eyes with Dr. Robeless and all I could think was, You chose this woman to do this job, Lord. That is her hand pumping air into my daughter and that is Your hand. Time seemed to stop as we all fell silent and watched air first fill Sierra’s tummy and slowly, slowly move into her lungs until she began to take in the oxygen. Her color returned to her cheeks and life flowed through her body and the battle changed! If I remember right, I think that was the seventh day… and that night we rested!

Wrap Me Up in Prayer!

The prayer quilt sent to us from Grace Church.

Within just a few days of our stay in the hospital a prayer quilt arrived. I was so thankful because even in the middle of summer, hospitals are cold! Sierra’s kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Faber, ordered a quilt and another sister delivered: Ellen Charnley and her team of prayer warriors from Grace Church! Ellen became a very active ally as prayer requests went forth.

Ssengooba Samuel Mugabi with the children who prayed for Sierra. “God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing….” Psalm 68:6

Another blanket of prayer came in on the breeze of summer. This blanket of prayer came from afar, in the land of Kampala, Uganda. A little orphanage I had never known heard about Sierra’s illness and made it their business to fight for Sierra every day, raising the battle standard of prayer! This was a genuine act by a group of children (Click this LINK to meet them.) and their pastor to reach the heavenly places and deliver prayers to a God who rides with a banner called Love! I wept. Often I wept. Again, mystically we all gathered together beneath one banner, for one purpose, and prayed. There is no other kingdom where such unity can occur– here is the place where the kingdom cannot be shaken– Love.

Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. Ex 17:15

But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner to be unfurled against the bow. Psalm 60:4

Let him lead me to the banquet hall, and let his banner over me be love. Song of Songs 2:4

Like Sierra, these orphaned children need help too, so I am including a link to their page HERE where you can help them get the food, resources and medical attention they desperately need. To this day I still chat with Samuel and we encourage each other across the world. God’s kingdom has no dividing lines, even if part of it is on the other side of the world.

The day after we moved out of the PICU another prayer quilt arrived.

Sierra was getting stronger and had started physical therapy. Sean returned from the Ronald McDonald House with a package carefully tucked beneath his arm. I curled up on the bed with her and we opened the package. No one knew about the Snow White metaphors– no one. So when I opened up the package and unfolded the Snow White quilt I was so surprised, and I am certain there was a twinkle in my Lord’s eye~ Oh God, how you love us.

Wrapped in the quilt was this letter:

Dear Sierra Jane,

This quilt was made by the Prayer Quilt Ministry at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church. It has a picture of Snow White on it. I hope you like it!

As you probably know, Snow White was a very beautiful young lady. She had a very sweet and giving heart. Animals loved her as did everyone who knew her…except the wicked stepmother. The wicked stepmother was beautiful on the outside, but rotten on the inside. She wanted to be the most beautiful person in the land, but she didn’t understand that to be truly beautiful you have to be beautiful on the inside too. She thought that by killing Snow White, she could claim to be the most beautiful person in the land. She gave Snow White a poison apple, one that, like her, was beautiful on the outside but rotten on the inside. Snow White ate it and became very ill. Some thought she had died. But she had one very important weapon against evil. That weapon was love. In the end, love saved her.

You are like Snow White who has been saved from a very nasty disease by love. You have received God’s love in many, many ways. Your dad and sisters who rushed you to the hospital, your mom who has been by your side the whole time, the doctors and nurses who found the right drugs to give you to make you well, the hundreds of people who have been praying for you, the wonderful people who have sent you cards and gifts, the folks who have contributed money to help pay the doctors, the people who helped move your things into your new house, all of these acts of love are because we love you and your family so much. We all love you and want you to get well as quickly as you can!

The prayer quilt was prayed over while it was made, it was placed on the altar at church during our Sunday morning service and Fr. Doug blessed it and we all said a prayer for you. Then it was taken to the parish hall where individuals said a prayer and tied a knot in the strings as a sign of their prayer. I hope you find comfort in it and that it reminds you that you are very, very loved! Get well soon, sweetheart!

In Christ,

Sally Neel

Sierra and I both wept into each others arms. It is a memory I will cherish for eternity. She understood the metaphor and everything God had done to save her. She snuggled up in the blanket insisting, as she drifted off to sleep, that we hang the letter in her room…and it is still there to this day.

Snow White calls to her people, “Who will be my brother!?” Image from Snow White and the Huntsman

Later that week when we would arrive home in Pagosa, Sean and I would watch the new Snow White and the Huntsman and hear these prophetic words ring out from the film

Death favors no man. We must ride like thundering waves under the tented battle flag of my father. ~Snow White

Iron will melt, but it will writhe inside of itself! All these years, all I’ve known is darkness. But I have never seen a brighter light than when my eyes just opened. And I know that light burns in all of you! Those embers must turn to flame. Iron into sword! … I’d rather die today than live another day of this death! And who will ride with me? Who will be my brother? ~Snow White after being kissed awake.

There is still much to share, much to say, people I have left out on the page but certainly not in my heart. We rode far. We rode long. If you wish to view some of my kinsman who fought by my side please click this link to the event, Sierra Jane: God’s Super Star. And to those of you who prayed, stood in the gap, loved us at all cost,

Now that the worst is over, we’re pleased we can report that we’ve come out of this with conscience and faith intact, and can face the world—and even more importantly, face you with our heads held high. But it wasn’t by any fancy footwork on our part. It was God who kept us focused on him, uncompromised. Don’t try to read between the lines or look for hidden meanings in this letter. We’re writing plain, unembellished truth, hoping that you’ll now see the whole picture as well as you’ve seen some of the details. We want you to be as proud of us as we are of you when we stand together before our Master Jesus. 2 Cor 1: 12-14 The Message

Friday morning, August 24, 2012, Sean dropped me off at the new house. On our way to Aspen Springs a still small voice whispered, “”Your family needs you.” I shook it off and said to myself, “Yeah, they need me to finish getting our house ready!” I knew I was arguing with God and I wish I had listened…

I worked all day prepping the bathroom for painting the next morning. That weekend we planned on putting in the laminate tile ourselves and the carpet was coming the following Wednesday.

I huddled down for the night in our little camper Sean’s folks had given to us to use. We had run out of money that month and the cell phone bill was one of the bills we skipped paying. Sean had no way of contacting me. I was just settling in to watch a movie when there came a knock on my camper door. A sheriff announced his presence and informed me through the door that one of my daughters had been rushed to the ER and he was to transport me to the hospital.

When I arrived at the hospital, I entered the emergency room and found Sierra bright red, unconscious and covered in ice bags. The nurse’s first words to me were, “She has a rectal temperature of 107 degrees.” Oh God, her little brain, is all I could think as lectures from an undergraduate neuropsychology class slowly passed before my eyes. I refocused and like a switch deep within me, I activated my faith and mixed it all up with a huge pile of denial.

It’s funny the things we tell ourselves in the middle of trauma.

I couldn’t believe this was anything but the flu until the doctor walked into the room with my husband. Sean had witnessed the unthinkable. He wept as he recounted the last few hours with Sierra and how he thought she was dead in his arms after having a seizure. I had given Sierra a heating pad and wondered to myself if that wasn’t the cause of her high temperature. Aren’t we good at blaming ourselves when one of our children becomes ill? I hugged my two older daughters who sat in the waiting room watching TV. I returned to an unresponsive Sierra. More than anything, I just wanted to hear her little voice. They had sedated her since she had a seizure.

Dr. Lewis was the ER doctor that night and as they worked to stabilize Sierra’s temperature, he worked to find us a hospital that could help. One after another, we were refused. Either the hospital didn’t have room, thought they didn’t have the facility or staff to support Sierra or thought our little hospital could handle it. Sierra’s illness sounded like a simple fiberal seizure (a fever seizure) but her age along with the extraordinarily high fever became confounding variables and no one knew what to make of it

Dr. Lewis and his staff are the first moments of God’s hands moving– they are our first heroes on sight because he knew there was something very serious going on with Sierra. It would be easy to get defensive or angry at those hospitals, but I don’t see it that way; I see a corridor of doors God shut with only one opened at the end. God had a very specific group of people He knew Sierra needed. Saint Lukes, Rocky Mountain Children’s Hospital not only said yes, but they flew their flight for life team into our little airport in Pagosa Springs. According to the ER staff, that is rare and most patients must drive to Durango, an hour away! Every minute counted and God knew that.

A Modern Day Fairy Tale

Sierra and I arrived at the hospital under the cloak of night. We were tucked away on the pediatric floor where a beautiful African woman named Elizabeth, greeted us. She had the most beautiful accent and I felt a kindred spirit with this woman. I curled up on the couch and Sierra and I slept for a few hours in the early morning light under Elizabeth’s watchful eye.

The day stretched and yawned and forced us awake as nurses and specialists began the daunting but necessary process of poking and prodding my daughter. Dr. White entered the room, an intelligent beauty, and began with a series of tests and blood work and finished up with a spinal tap to rule out spinal meningitis. That is one procedure I don’t mind never seeing done again!

Meanwhile, Sean, along with his parents and Sierra’s sisters were en route to Denver. Since we were broke, my cell phone was off and we had no way to communicate, Sean had the foresight to bring our landline phone. We turned our other cell phone into a landline and have a Verizon tower box that uses the cell phone towers. This is so hillbilly and one of the many reasons why I love that man: he plugged that thing into the truck, brought the house phone and was able to call every hour on his six-hour journey to Denver. Miraculously, he had phone service the entire way.

Each time Sean or the girls called, Sierra would cry, “Where are you? Why aren’t you here? I need you.” We all needed each other like never before.

After some more tests they introduced an antibiotic and Sierra crashed. I had been helping her back and forth to the potty all day and this last time she crumpled up on the floor and her skin became bright red. At the same moment, Sean and the girls arrived only to find Sierra in an even more critical state that before. “What happened!? Sean questioned, I thought she was getting better.”

Dr. White stood over Sierra, confounded at her reaction to the antibiotic. I stood too. That’s all I could do. I didn’t pray, I didn’t cry, I didn’t know what else to do but stand in the knowledge that God was with us.

Stand firm, and you will win life. Luke 21:19

The sun began to set and night began to play on the walls like Peter Pan shadows. Then in walked the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) doctor. The two doctors stood over Sierra, Dr. White and Dr. Snow. Incredulously I exclaimed, “Dr. Snow, really?” Snow- White!?” They looked surprised, never before putting together the Snow White symbology of their names. The Snow White metaphor would mark a significant introduction to a series of love notes sent to us by God.

After that, Dr. Snow took over Sierra’s care and the reality that her life was hanging in the balance set in. And I stood up. From the deep places of my chamber heart arose those familiar words once again.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

Sierra drifted between consciousness and unconsciousness as Sean and I held her little hands. Doctors were introducing masks and gloves and robes into the environment as a precaution. I silently refused to put on any gloves; I needed to feel her hand in mine. Maybe I thought I deserved to get sick too, because I hadn’t been there. The things we think…. I placed my lips close to her ear and sang our favorite song to her. Her eyes faintly smiled and then she slipped into unconsciousness.

Angels dressed like nurses and ER technicians filled the room and began their work. With nothing left for us to do, we returned to the pediatric floor. By this time I had two hours of sleep in a 40 hour period. My Dad, who lives near Denver, picked up Brianna and Tiarra while Sean’s parents found a room at the Ronald McDonald House.

Once everyone was gone, we held each other taking turns weeping in the room where Sierra and I had first arrived.

Our angel, Elizabeth, guarded our room as we found unsettled rest on a fold-out-couch. At 3am Dr. Snow entered our room and explained that Sierra had severe septic shock. She deduced that based upon Sierra’s symptoms and our account of earlier events that week that she might have contracted bubonic plague.

This time, we couldn’t get up and later that morning I initiated a call to arms and asked anyone I knew for prayer.

Without trying to sound cliché, this was our introduction to a fairy tale with a real life threatening villain and a multitude of warriors fighting to save a princess– and who is the prince of this story you ask?

This will end up being a series of blogs because so much has happened since I last blogged. So, I’m just going to start as though we are in a conversation…

Yes, I am the mother of the little girl, Sierra Jane, who had the plague in 2012. Sean laughingly calls me “the plague mom.” Please DON”T call me that though! We were on T.V. and the Dr. Oz Show (click on the link to see the actual show) and she received world coverage.

On the set with Dr. Oz after recording the show.

We talked about everything from my two older daughters’ 911 call to the pink sweatshirt fallen on the ground that became the carriage for the little creatures who carried the deadly disease, the bubonic plague.

What you never heard; however, were the millions of miracles God orchestrated for our benefit… and yours! I just want you to know how much He loves you.

He wants you to know that He has not forgotten you. He has heard every prayer. Every one. Even the little ones that seem like a simple little thought. Even the ones you haven’t uttered because you think you don’t deserve it or it won’t happen. He has Hope for you right here, right now. And since we survived the plagueI feel that I am qualified to tell you why and how I know that!

There is much to tell and this story doesn’t begin with the plague; that’s where it ends. Allow me to take you back to the summer of 20oo…

In the spring of 2012, the Holy Spirit had me return to an old abandoned township called Pagosa Junction. The land is on the tip of the Ute reservation and as I understand it, there has been some fighting over the territory between the Utes and the town of Pagosa Springs. The first time I ever went out there, however, was 12 years earlier in the summer of 2000.

The Catholic church overlooking Pagosa Junction

Back then, my husband and I had time to explore new territories. We drove back into the wilderness and discovered an old train station, tracks, and old homes. On that first trip I remember thinking that it looked like everyone had just up and left! We found old clothing, jars, antique furniture and so many cool things. Since we love collecting pictures of old doors, I started taking pictures of the doors. One I will never forget was of a lone “locked” door standing like a rebel surrounded by its fallen house. I can’t help but think of this scripture when I remember that door.

These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. Rev 3:7-9

The more we explored, though, the more uneasy we became. We felt an unspoken warning to touch nothing! I could hear what sounded like voices on the breeze threatening and screaming at us to leave. Sensing the evil presence, we decided to leave. A few weeks later when I got the pictures back, I was so uncomfortable that I had to throw every single one away.

If you need more evidence that that place was cursed, a friend of mine went out there five years later and brought back an old mason jar for a souvenir. A few weeks later she and her kids started having terrible nightmares and even seeing manifestations of spirits in their home. We prayed. She repented, threw away the jar and as soon as the jar was in the trash the nightmares stopped.

So, when God asked me to return there in the spring of 2012, I was a little leery… and excited. Along the way I discovered a little happy flock of sheep. One of them came over to the fence and actually looked like he wanted to encourage me.

When I got to Pagosa Junction this time, I didn’t sense anything like before. In fact, I wandered around the old church on the hill and hiked around the valley near the train tracks and experienced peace. Then I began to pray.

Have you ever noticed that when it’s God praying through you it’s difficult to remember what you prayed? All I know is, as I prayed, a theme of God returning the land prevailed. I recall saying out loud, “Be returned to the land.” There was a sense of restoring as I prayed and prophesied to the land.

Early spring at Pagosa Junction 2012.

For I will restore thefortunes of the land as they were before,’ says the Lord. The Prophet Jeremiah 33:11

I know! It wasn’t the miracle I had been hoping for either! I fought so hard to keep that little home of ours. Like a lot of Americans, we bought our home at the peak of the market and shouldn’t have. We ended up receiving a Deed in Leu which morphed into a Deed in Leese. That means we were renting the house we once owned. We were slipping farther and farther into debt, depression and discouragement.

As summer approached I continued to pray. We looked at rentals and even considered moving out-of-town and closer to a city. Then one day our friend, Steve, suggested we take a look at his old property. The property was on the other side of town on 1.5 acres. For the last three years it had been used as a homeless shelter. Since there was only one man left of the group (he moved into a single cabin), Steve thought a family might be able to restore the house.

No one knew the years I had wept, or the days I had fasted and prayed for God to answer us. No one knew how creative I really was with so little; how I understood the woman with her jar of oil and bit of flour, how I longed for something new for my daughters and joy for my husband. God knew…

“In the time of my favor I will answer you,
and in the day of salvation I will help you;
I will keep you and will make you
to be a covenant for the people,
to restore the land
and to reassign its desolate inheritances,9 to say to the captives, ‘Come out,’
and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!’ The Prophet Isaiah 49:8-9

We inherited Steve’s house and began our summer with renovations. Little did we know that we were about to embark on an adventure together that we would never forget.